Police: Dad's story a hoax

'abandoned' child was his daughter

May 12, 2012|By Rosemary R. Sobol | Tribune reporter

The father of a toddler initially believed to be found abandoned in a stroller on a Near West Side street -- prompting an official search for her family -- has been charged after making up the story while never actually leaving the child alone, police said.

Clint Ross, 23, of the 2100 block of West 71st Place, was charged with contributing to the neglect of a child, a misdemeanor, after causing the child to be "dependent on the public and without proper parental care," police said.

Ross walked in the Area Central detective division late Friday night and told police he made up the story about finding a 2-year-old girl by herself in a stroller and said that his daughter had been in his care the whole time up until he left her at the police department, according to the report.

Ross also told police that he was "mad" that day, "regrets" what he did and said he knows he should have brought his daughter home to a relative, according to a police report.

Ross was unavailable for comment today.

On May 4, a man police later identified as Ross, said he was an "unknown citizen" who found the toddler near the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Ashland Avenue, not far from the University of Illinois Medical Center around 5 p.m., said Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokesman Jimmie Whitelow Thursday.

After the child was taken to the Monroe District police station, officers contacted DCFS, which began a search for her family and reached out to the public for help in finding relatives.

Whitelow said there was no identification on the child. "Unfortunately, she was found abandoned in the street," he said Thursday.

"This young lady is in good health," said Whitelow earlier. "There are no signs of neglect or abuse. We just want to make sure we make an attempt to find her family. We always look to family first."

The toddler was taken to the UIC medical center to be checked out and was subsequently placed in the care of the DCFS at an undisclosed location.

It's unclear where the child is today. DCFS has not yet returned phone calls asking about the case.

Illinois' safe haven law allows parents to leave a child 30 days old or younger at certain locations without fear of prosecution. The locations include a police station, firehouse or sheriff's headquarters, as well as police departments of public or private universities and at Illinois State Police district headquarters around the state.

While in this case, "the child is beyond the age of relinquishment," Whitelow said Thursday, emphasizing that "people can always ask for assistance."